1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of wireless communication devices. More specifically, the invention relates to the authentication of a battery installed in a wireless communication device.
2. Related Art
A typical wireless communication device, such as a mobile phone, comprises, among other things, a processor coupled to a memory and to a transceiver, each enclosed in a housing. A mobile power source, such as a battery, is coupled to and supplies power to the processor, the memory and the transceiver. A speaker and a microphone are also enclosed within the housing for transmitting and receiving, respectively, acoustic signals to and from a user of the wireless communication device. A battery is typically installed in the device at the time of manufacture, and therefore, the manufacture can regulate these “authentic” batteries to ensure correct and safe performance of the batteries in the device. However, there is a growing concern for the mobile phone manufactures regarding the safety of replacement batteries that are later installed by the consumer.
Low quality, unauthenticated or counterfeit batteries, that is, batteries that are not approved by the manufacturers, can pose potential dangers to the device users. For example, counterfeit batteries may malfunction, explode or catch fire and cause injury to the user and damage to the wireless device. Therefore, a need exists in the wireless communication device industry to implement safety mechanisms in the devices to ensure the use of approved batteries.